Colleyville: NETCOM 911 Awarded Prestigious Accreditation

Emergency dispatchers for the communities of Colleyville, Keller, Southlake, and Westlake have new bragging rights this summer after the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) awarded NETCOM 911 its prestigious National Public Safety Communications Accreditation – the first for a regional dispatch center in Texas.

“The commitment to earn this award was truly a grassroots effort by staff, so I couldn’t be more proud of our team,” NETCOM 911 Communications Manager Warren Dudley said. “This accreditation validates those extra steps we take to ensure accountability, reduce liability through good procedures and intensive training, and engage with the citizens and partner agencies we serve.”

The Northeast Tarrant Communications Center serves about 100,000 people across more than 60 square miles and is accustomed to making history. It was the first regional dispatch center in Tarrant County when it launched in 2007, and the first agency in the country to roll out enhanced emergency location and messaging capabilities through the app-based SirenGPS system in 2016.

The new honor – the gold standard for public safety credentialing – was confirmed during CALEA accreditation hearings in late July in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Founded in 1984, CALEA’s accreditation program focuses on increasing community and staff confidence in their public safety departments. The National Public Safety Communications Accreditation holds departments accountable to more than 200 industry standards and best practices and has been achieved by only about 5 percent of dispatch centers nationwide.

“Achieving national accreditation from CALEA is a tremendous achievement and a true testament to the dedication and professionalism of our dispatchers,” Colleyville Police Chief Michael Miller said. “We are also extremely proud of our regional partnership with the police departments of Keller and Southlake in delivering cost-effective, professional services to all of our residents. It is directly because of the leadership of Keller Chief of Police Mike Wilson and his staff that we jointly celebrate this great achievement today.”

For more information about the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, visit www.calea.org.